A wide variety of implantable medical devices may be delivered to a patient using a delivery system to transport the device to an implant position within a bodily lumen. For example, the device may be delivered to the vasculature by employing the Seldinger technique or related percutaneous entry techniques. For some implantable medical devices, delivery may be accomplished using an endoscope for intraluminal delivery.
Such systems typically utilize a wire guide inserted into the lumen to extend to the site of implantation of the medical device such as a stent, stent graft, filter, occluder, valve or the like. An introducer sheath is placed over a portion of the wire guide and a catheter inserted over the wire guide within the introducer sheath. The medical device is contained within a distal portion of the sheath until delivery to the site of implantation. The medical device is then released from the catheter distal tip and deployed. The insertion and delivery procedure are monitored closely through fluoroscopy, angiograms, ultrasound or CT scanning or the like. Radiopaque or echogenic markers are commonly used as landmarks on the guide wire, catheter and medical device to assure eventual accurate positioning of the device at the site of implantation and its full deployment.
Typically, the medical device may be positioned within the delivery catheter prior to the delivery to the physician. Some medical devices may require hydration prior to use that makes prepackaging of the device within the delivery catheter more difficult. In some situations, the medical device may be hydrated just prior to the patient in the operating room which requires manipulation of the medical device by the medical personnel. In other situations, more than one medical device may be needed or a different type of medical device than originally provided with the catheter may be desirable.
What is needed is a delivery cartridge that may be provided with a medical device therein that allows the medical device to be provided with a delivery catheter or separately therefrom and loaded into the delivery catheter at the site of the medical procedure. The medical device may also be provided in a hydrated state.